# How Matt Pocock actually uses coding agents

Total TypeScript, ex-Vercel

**If you take one thing:** `/grill-me`, before every change. his most popular skill makes the agent interview him until the design is settled, before any code is written.

- **Agent:** Claude Code (cli) ([source, 2026-07-07](https://www.aihero.dev/how-to-kill-the-bloat-in-claude-codes-system-prompt))
- **Model:** Claude Opus 5.5 ([source, 2026-10-05](https://www.aihero.dev/skills-changelog-v13-implement-spec-pr-retro-and-glossary-md))
- **Model:** Claude Opus 5 ([source, 2026-07-24](https://github.com/mattpocock/course-video-manager/blob/41c495e0fe825692026d834066674e483dfa5e14/.sandcastle/main.ts#L14))
- **Review:** Reviews by merge danger, two-axis /code-review ([source, 2026-10-05](https://www.aihero.dev/skills-changelog-v13-implement-spec-pr-retro-and-glossary-md))
- **Harness:** Claude Code, Sandcastle (his library) running agents in Docker sandboxes off GitHub issues ([source, 2026-10-05](https://www.aihero.dev/skills-changelog-v13-implement-spec-pr-retro-and-glossary-md))
- **Rules file:** CLAUDE.md per repo, with an ## Agent skills block his setup skill writes ([source, 2026-09-30](https://github.com/mattpocock/course-video-manager/blob/41c495e0fe825692026d834066674e483dfa5e14/CLAUDE.md#L17))
- **Skills:** ask-matt, diagnosing-bugs, grill-with-docs, triage, improve-codebase-architecture, setup-matt-pocock-skills, tdd, to-spec, to-tickets, wayfinder, implement, implement-spec, prototype, research, domain-modeling ([source, 2026-10-06](https://github.com/mattpocock/skills/blob/7a030a8b0dcaa601bb0dda9aaf174affb3d61145/.claude-plugin/plugin.json#L21-L48))
- **Hooks:** PreToolUse block-npx-tsc.sh ([source, 2026-07-16](https://github.com/mattpocock/course-video-manager/blob/41c495e0fe825692026d834066674e483dfa5e14/.claude/hooks/block-npx-tsc.sh#L2))

## In their words

> Want my whole Claude Code setup, bloat removal included?

> On Opus 5.5 it loads each time the agent writes a PR body, and you do not have to think about it.

> agent: sandcastle.claudeCode("claude-opus-5"),

> Merge Danger tells you where to spend review time. A two-way door with a small blast radius: skim it. A one-way door: read it slowly.

> A script reads each ticket and runs /implement on it. This is what I recommend for most people.


Archetype (our label): Toolsmith. Newest source: 2026-10-06.
Card: https://www.prehistoriq.com/stacks/mattpocock/ · Data: https://github.com/prehistoriq/stacks/blob/main/data/stacks/mattpocock.json